Few calories, no carbohydrates, and no fat – the Dukan Diet is a strictly reduced-calorie diet and consciously relies on a protein-rich diet. We explain what the weight loss program is all about:
The French doctor Dr. Pierre Dukan. With the Dukan principle, the French developed a diet concept that focuses on meat and animal products and is supposed to help you lose weight. Since the diet is extremely protein-heavy, muscle mass breakdown is also prevented. The Dukan diet has been known in France for years. But does this nutritional method make sense? We have cast a critical eye on it.
If you want to lose weight with the Dukan Diet, you strive for your ideal weight. This does not mean the desired weight or the ideal weight according to the body mass index, but a weight that anyone can realistically achieve and maintain over the long term. The ideal personal weight is calculated based on, among other things, age, gender, and height, as well as desired weight, stature, and previous diet experience.
How Does The Dukan Diet Work?
The Dukan Diet consists of four phases: the attack phase, the build-up phase, the stabilization phase, and the maintenance phase. The concept is based on few calories, almost no carbohydrates, and hardly any fat. On the other hand, protein-rich foods are in the foreground, and oat bran is an important part of the diet, which is supposed to stimulate metabolism.
1st Attack Phase (1-10 Days)
This first phase consists of a drastic reduction in energy intake, with careful selection of foods, so that the body is outwitted and a rapid weight loss of two or three kilograms is brought about. The muscles should be preserved.
Protein-rich foods that are also extremely low in fat are on the menu. This includes especially lean meat such as poultry, fish, and soy. Low-fat dairy products (less than 4 g / 100 g fat), eggs, and vegetables are also on the plate.
The first phase of the Dukan diet lasts one to a maximum of ten days, depending on your ideal weight. Only lean meat, fish, and low-fat dairy products are served during this period. The amount of food is not limited. Fish and meat are prepared without skin and fat. 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day should help against the cravings for carbohydrates. In addition, you should drink at least two liters of water a day.
2nd Build-Up Phase (Until The Target Weight Is Reached)
The goal now is to stabilize the achieved weight and continue weight loss. After a drastic renunciation phase, it is necessary to be careful that the body does not lose its defenses. Carbohydrates are slowly fed back into the body every day during this phase. The energy supply is increased again, but only by as much as necessary to not throw the insulin and hormone balance too much off balance.
The pure protein diet from the first phase is now alternated with protein/vegetable phases. Tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, leeks, or spinach are well suited. One portion of starchy food (200 g pasta, rice …) is allowed per week. The oat bran ratio is doubled to 2 tablespoons.
3rd Stabilization Phase (10 Days Per Kilo Lost)
The goal is to maintain the weight gained and avoid the yo-yo effect. To achieve this, it is important to stay firm and ensure that you always maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
The protein diet of the attack phase is allowed, as well as vegetables, a serving of fruit a day (no bananas, grapes, cherries), two slices of whole-grain bread, and some high-carbohydrate meals such as rice and potatoes. In addition, two pleasure meals can be consumed per week. However, the strict protein diet of the first phase must also be eaten on one day of the week.
Maintenance Phase
In the maintenance phase, it is important to maintain a balanced diet. One day a week, you will only eat after phase 1, and three tablespoons of oat bran should now be consumed per day. This phase lasts a lifetime.
Is Dukan Diet Was Very Dangerous To Health!
Certainly, you can lose a few pounds quickly with the Dukun Diet if you can keep it up at all. But Susanne Klaus from the German Institute for Nutrition and the French Agency National de security Sanitaire de alimentation (roughly equivalent to our BfR, which belongs to the Federal Ministry of Nutrition) strongly advise against the weight-loss concept. The high protein diet puts stress on the kidneys. The unbalanced diet, especially the avoidance of fruit and vegetables, leads to an undersupply of vitamin C and folate and thus to an increased risk of liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, etc., cardiovascular diseases.
We also advise against the Dukan diet and instead rely on a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit and plenty of exercises. If you still want to carry out the strict weight loss program, you should speak to your family doctor beforehand and have a health check carried out.
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